Falling For You
by Esme7Cullen
Summary: When Ariel is kidnapped from her home every planet is looking for the lost princess and Montressor sends their best man, Jim Hawkins, to bring her home, Jim finds that he isn't just doing this because it's his duty, it becomes much more thgen that.
1. Prologue

FallingforYou

An Ariel and Jim Tribute

Prologue

"Ariel! Wait for me!" Flounder cried after his best friend as she continued to swim far ahead of him. Ariel laughed and slowed down to let her fish friend catch up to her.

"Come on Flounder! If we don't hurry we'll miss it!" and Ariel shot ahead in a storm of bubbles. Flounder sighed and swam as fast his little fins would carry him. Ariel was up to something, what else was new. No doubt it was something dangerous that her father had forbidden.

Ariel knew that something big was happening tonight. She had heard two men on a ship talk it about it that morning. Some sort of celebration with a "carnival" and "fireworks". Ariel only knew that she didn't want to miss whatever was happening on the surface tonight! She propelled through the water like she'd been shot out of a cannon. She shot right past all of the colorful plants and fish of the small reef. Ariel looked up at the surface, flashes of color spotted the surface and she swam up.

She broke through the surface in a shower of droplets and when she looked ahead and was astounded by what she saw. Humans were all over the place! There were lots of animals too and weird shaped things that went in circles of all kinds that the humans were enjoying themselves on. It was the sky that dazzled Ariel the most. Lighting up the night sky were twinkling lights that were all sorts of shapes and colors.

_These__must__be__those__things__the__men__were__talking__about__…__fireworks._ It was a beautiful display right over the water so Ariel just lay on top of the waves gazing at the sky. She was so preoccupied by the lights that she didn't notice the shadow of a ship drawing closer and closer.

Flounder kept on swimming as fast as his little blue fins would carry him. He knew where Ariel was going to go, near that rock of hers that looked onto the human world. That was the only place he could think of that she'd go in this part of the ocean. He saw the lights, swam up and broke the surface.

"Hey Ariel! Wait up for me ne…" Flounder looked all, but he couldn't see any signs of Ariel.

"Ariel? Stop playing around! This isn't funny!" No response. Flounder searched high and low for his friend, but there was no sign of Ariel.

Then, there was a piercing scream over the sound of lapping of water. Flounder turned to see a spec out on the horizon. The faint outline of ship. There was another scream, this one barely audible, but there was no doubt, it was Ariel.

"ARIEL!" Flounder raced under the waves to try and catch up to the fast moving ship, but it was no good, the ship was too far and was soon out of the little guppy's reach.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Captain Amelia strode onto the deck of her spotless ship and frowned. In her absence she had instructed the entire crew to clean her beautiful ship, the RLS Legacy, while she met with The Council. The Council had instructed her to report to them the second they made port. Normally she would have objected, but if she angered The Council they'd keep them in port and she would much rather be out and about the galaxy. She examined the deck with a critical eye…it was spotless. Most of the crew would be crawling around below decks gathering their spoils and going to the first tavern in sight.

"All hands on deck!" all types of creatures come from all directions onto the deck and formed a line before their captain waiting for orders. Once all were present Amelia declared,

"You are all dismissed for the rest of the day, I don't want to see any of you on board until this evening. Is that clear?" The crew nodded and went scrambling off the deck,

"Except for you, Mr. Hawkins." The young cabin boy stopped where he stood and groaned.

"I need a private word with you in my state room."

"Yes Captain" He made a mock bow and the two went straight to her office.

Jim Hawkins walked in through the door to the captain's state room. His filthy, baggy clothes hanging off and his long chocolate bangs hung in front of his sapphire eyes. His dark pants and coal black boots were filthy. He had already spent enough time on this ship today; he had hoped to visit his mother. On top of it, Jim didn't like being in the Captain's rooms, it usually meant something involving trouble. Captain Amelia locked the door behind her and she pounced into the air, landing comfterably in the large armchair behind her desk while Jim remained standing.

"Mr. Hawkins…as you are probably aware I just got back from a meeting with The Council." Jim rolled his eyes and started playing with the ponytail on the back of his head.

"Yeah" The Captain sighed.

"Well, did you hear about the missing princess?" Jim looked up at the Captain with interest and Amelia smirked, glad to have caught his attention.

"Well, two days ago on the planet Arista, King Triton reported to The Council that his youngest daughter has gone missing." Jim looked at her, frowning with his eyes swimming with questions.

"Arista? Haven't heard of that one."

"It's a long ways from Montressor, Mr. Hawkins. A very primitive planet with little as far as technology goes." Jim stared at here,

"Then how come this is so important?" He walked slowly over to the Captain cabinet full of maps and treasures. He always looked around there to look like he didn't care.

"It matters Mr. Hawkins because King Triton is a very helpful asset to The Council for underwater excursions."

Jim spun around to face her and blinked.

"Underwater because…"

"This planet inhabits merpeople, Mr. Hawkins."

Jim blinked twice, a bewildered expression plastered on his face.

"Oh" Captain Amelia rose from her perch and started to gaze out the glass window that made up the back wall of her state room.

"It's a standard rescue mission Mr. Hawkins. You will travel alone to Arista and search for the missing mermaid princess. Once you find her you will safely return her to the underwater city of Atlantica and return back here to me. You will receive triple you're usual pay for this assignment and, if you're results prove worthy; you will be admitted into the royal navy as captain of your own ship. Any questions?"

Jim felt like he was going to explode. This is just what he needed, a chance to show what he can do! His own ship! He could sail wherever he pleased and make his own rules. He would be free. Jim slowly walked over to the captain,

"Yeah, two. One, how in the world do I get a mermaid back to an underwater city while not letting her outta my sight? Two, once I'm done how will you guys know to come get me?" Amelia sharply turned around to face the young boy. He was only seventeen, but she knew that he could handle the job.

"You will be administered a ring that if worn will turn you into a merman. If any merperson wears this ring they will turn human. Once you complete your mission and report back to Atlantica King Triton will send us word of your return and someone will be there as soon as possible to receive you and take you back to my ship." Jim nodded. He could do this, no problem. It was just a simple rescue mission, nothing that he hadn't done before, what could happen. He turned to leave,

"Oh, and, Mr. Hawkins." Jim rolled his eyes, put his hands in his black jacket pockets and twirled around.

"Also, it is vitally important that no one else know of the merpeople. Their existence has remained a secret for thousands of years and they want to keep it that way." Jim nodded,

"Yeah, whatever." The Captain sighed,

"Very well, go pack your things, a long boat will arrive shortly to take you to Arista. Good luck."


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Put your backs into!" the captain hollered at his men trudging along behind him at a sea slugs pace. He stood there for a moment waiting for them to catch up. Slowly the small crew came fourth. The entire crew crawled ahead with guns to protect the package, except the four strongest. These four men were all alone strong enough to take on at least four men at once. Trudging slowly came into view these exact men, each holding a pole attached to a glass case full of water and the red head. They lift elephants on a daily basis and the four of um together can't lift a stupid case of full of sea and a fish!

"Hurry it up!" All of the men groaned, one of the men carrying the case spoke,

"But, Capin…this ere tank is heavy n we been goin in this ere jungle fer hours now n…" The captain roared in outrage and shot his gun at the sky. The men dropped and birds scattered and cried.

"I don't want ur excuses! All yer need ter pick up the pace or feel the wrath of my steal cuttin off yer head!" Everything was quiet for a moment. Eight of the dozen that had been guarding the case now grabbed on an end to help. None of these men wanted to lose their heads and knew better than to ignore the captain so onward they went through the jungle.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**Bang!**

Jim had heard the gunshots in the jungle up ahead.

_Why__would__anyone__be__in__the__jungle?_ Jim thought it over to himself and smirked. He picked up his small pack full of basic supplies and headed into the thick vegetation.

_Why would anyone be in the jungle… unless they were hiding something that they didn't want anyone to find. Something like a missing princess._


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_How could this have happened?_

Ariel just didn't know what to do. One moment she was on the cool waves gazing at the night sky and the next she was on a ship and dropped into this tank. She couldn't so much as turnaround to face the other direction in the small glass prison. She had tried to get out in hopes that she would be close enough to the water to leap overboard and swim for it, but now they were far inland. She had no choice except to sit in this tank until they reached the ocean once more…she hoped. For all this little mermaid knew she would never see the ocean again. Ariel had once seen water come out of a human, these things they called tears. A girl around her age had been on the edge of a ship shedding these tears for her lost lover. If there were ever a time Ariel would have cried it would have been now.

The captain had his crew set up camp for the night in a small clearing. They had taken cloth and set up places to sleep inside of them. They had also built a fire. Normally, Ariel would have been fascinated by the glowing flames, but not like this. Even then she couldn't resist her hint of curiosity. She looked at the reflection in the glass and saw the orange and yellow flames. Ariel just longed to go back home to Atlantica.

_Will I ever see my family again...my friends…home?_

All of the pirates had slowly gotten up and slumped toward their dwellings except for one. One remained close to the fire, someone to keep an eye on her no doubt, but soon enough he too fell into a deep slumber. Only Ariel lay awake now in her tank, waiting for sleep to overtake her, hoping that she would dream of home.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Jim lay crotched down in the thick vegetation on the edge of the clearing. The sky was pitch black, not even the stars were out and the dark clouds were rolling in.

_Storm coming…a real bad one._

Jim had to make a choice. He could either grab the girl now or run in hopes that the storm would keep the pirates from following or he could seek shelter, wait it out, follow them and wait for another chance. He glanced around the small site and saw a large glass tank about a dozen feet from where he was. He looked more closely and his eyes grew to the size of saucers.

She was easily the most beautiful girl of any species Jim had ever seen. Her slender body was creamy and smooth. Her skin was pale and her hair a flame. Jim couldn't stop gazing at her. He couldn't even see her face and he thought she was drop dead gorgeous. He almost jumped out right then longing to grab her up in his arms and feel just how smooth her skin was and see the vibrant color her eyes would be. Jim shook his head.

_Get a grip! She's a mermaid princess and you're just a dirt poor cabin boy._

Still, he couldn't help, but to think of her. He would just grab her up now and run. He tried to justify that he was doing this because he didn't know if would get another opportunity like this, but really he just wanted to hold her in his arms.

He crept slowly up to the very edge of the clearing. Her tank was only four feet away now; it wouldn't be hard to run out, scoop her up and start running. He couldn't carry her the whole way back to the shore in one night, no way. Even if he gave her the ring to use he would have to carry her, just because she had legs didn't mean that she knew how to use them.

Jim looked up at the dark sky, quickly filling with black clouds. The rain would start soon and he needed to grab her and get out before this storm got really bad. He dashed out of the jungle like a bullet out of a gun straight for the tank.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Ariel simply lay there trying to fall into a deep slumber, but it simply wouldn't come. She sighed and closed her eyes in hopes that would help in her lost cause.

Suddenly in the silent night she heard running footsteps. Next she knew there was a splash and arms around her trying to lift her from the tank, one hand firmly on her waist and the other over her mouth. Ariel tried to scream and struggle loose, but this human had a tough grip and soon had her out of the water. She was now on the damp floor of the jungle, flipping her tail, hands flailing, trying anything to get away. Then he sat on top of her to keep her firmly in place, leaned down and whispered ever so gently into her ear,

"_I'm not one of them. I'm not going to hurt you. I came here to rescue you. Everything's going to be fine. Just trust me."_

Ariel had never heard such an amazingly sexy voice in her existence. She stopped squirming, trying to get a clear head and think.

_He's here to help me? I could go home!_

_But what if he's lying? What if he's just taking me away to some other place and I'll never get home?_

_But what choice do I have? It's him or here and he sounds generous enough._

She sighed and nodded. She felt the man lift her up into his arms and run off into the jungle. Ariel couldn't see his face in the poor light, but she could see the dark cloudy sky overhead that just kept getting darker. She didn't like this one bit. If he dropped her she could only drag herself across the jungle floor. She felt hopeless. She shivered a little, the wind was picking up making it chilly and she was sopping wet with not much to keep her warm.

With not much else to do she huddled closer to the man's warm muscular chest. She could just feel the muscles under his thin shirt and in his arms and he carried her bridal style through the dark mysterious jungle


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Hours later at the clearing, the pirates had taken their tents down and cleared all signs of them being there. The captain glanced around the clearing with a sharp eye. Nothing was out of place. He looked at his crew who had taken refuge from the oncoming storm in a cave just off the clearing. He went to join them before the rain came falling down. As he approached he caught sight of the tank, the empty tank. He roared.

"Where the devil be the girl?"

The crew jumped around like a bunch of monkeys trying to calm the captain, but to no avail. The captain glared at each of his men in turn and roared once more.

"I don't care if yer have to look all night under every pebble of this jungle for the next thousand years! Just find that girl!"

The thunder cracked and the rain fell.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Jim glanced outside at the downpour going on.

_Glad we're not caught up in that._

As Jim felt the first droplets on his head he had spotted a small cave and had dived right in. It wasn't the best, but it was dry and he'd had worse surroundings. Outside the cave was a lake that leaked a small pool into the cave which was simply perfect for Ariel. Now the little mermaid lay at the bottom of the small pool and Jim sat in front of a small fire. Jim had a lot to think about as far as she went. There was no denying that she was beautiful.

_But she's a princess, get that into your head!_

She wasn't like any other girl he had ever met. She had a fiery personality that glowed around her like her flaming hair.

_But she's a princess! You can't even think about her that way!_

Jim groaned and threw his head back, hitting it against the rocks hard.

"OW!" Jim sighed and lifted his hands to feel if there was a break or blood, nothing. Ariel's head popped out of the pool.

"Are you alright?" Jim looked over at her worried expression and smiled.

"I'm fine, don't worry about it." Ariel sank lower into the shallow pool.

"Are you sure?" Jim nodded

Ariel smiled

"What's your name?" Jim looked at her in confusion.

_You idiot, you never told her your name!_

"Uh…err…its uhhh…Jim! My name is Jim." Ariel laughed and Jim cursed himself under his breath.

_Now she thinks you're an idiot. Great job._

"Well, thank you for coming to rescue me Jim." Jim looked at her and smiled.

"Don't mention it. Just glad I could help." They both gazed at each other and Jim knew right then that he could never be with her. She was a princess and far too good for him. No doubt when she got back home she had some hunk of a merman prince waiting for her.

Jim shook his head, "You'd better get some sleep, princess. You're gonna need it."

Ariel frowned, but nodded,

"You're right, but just call me Ariel." Jim smiled and nodded.

"Goodnight Ariel"

"Goodnight Jim" and she disappeared in a small halo of bubbles into the crystal clear waters of the pool. Jim knew he couldn't have her, but he did know one thing and he swore that he would keep to it for eternity.

_I will always do whatever it takes to keep her safe._

Ariel let herself fall gracefully to the bottom of the pool. The rocks were all worn smooth after many years and were not too different from those in her grotto back home. Ariel sighed, she missed Atlantica so much. She was just happy that she was going home and wasn't stuck in a tank all cramped up. She curled up at the bottom, digging her tail into the sand. She was really glad that Jim had come to rescue her. She had to admit that he was really handsome, and strong and nice too.

_I hope that we can be friends._

Ariel thought about it for a minute, but then frowned.

_He's a human. He can't go with me back home_

This was naturally a sad concept, but she shrugged it off.

…_but that doesn't mean we still can't be friends. It just means he won't be around all the time. We can spend time now while we can._

Ariel grinned at her thoughts and curled up to go to sleep. Little did she know the Jim would be up all night making sure she slept well and that no harm came to the beauty he couldn't have.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

When Jim saw the sun begin to peak through the greenery he gave a tired smile. He had stayed up all night long to make sure the pirates hadn't found some kind of trail and followed them. Thankfully that night had been quiet except for the occasional monkey, but not pirates. Jim rubbed at his weary eyes and stretched to try and wake up his tired muscles. He got up slowly from where he had sat crouched all night long against the cave wall and crept over to the pool where Ariel would be. Jim didn't want to wake her up just yet, she'd had a rough night and she deserved some rest.

He peaked over the ledge of the pool to gaze at the young mermaid. The water was crystal clear so he could easily look down and see her curled up in the sand at the bottom of the pool. Her flaming red hair floated peacefully around her and was such a contrast to her luscious green tail. Jim smiled when she turned over and saw on her face a very relaxed expression, probably dreaming of her home. Jim could have easily sat there for the rest of his life watching his Ariel dreaming.

_Not your Ariel! She can't ever be yours! Get that into your head!_

Jim took several deep breaths in hopes that it would help clear his head, but no such luck. He just couldn't get her out of his mind, no matter how hard he tried. Jim could hardly bare to pull his eyes off of her, but he unwilling did so to go search for some breakfast.

Ariel yawned and stretched her arms out beneath her head to try and go back to her dream. She had been back at home and everyone was there; all of her friends, her sisters, her father and all of Atlantica were all celebrating her return home. After going through the crowds and saying hello to everyone she had begun to hear a voice off in the distance. Ariel gravitated toward the sound to try and find the source of the beautiful voice. It was a man's voice that flowed and sounded better than anything she had ever heard. She kept on searching for the voice and its owner, but she had woken up which is why she kept trying to go back to sleep.

_Who was he? Is he real or was that just my imagination?_

Whether it had been a dream or not Ariel knew that deep down in her heart she just knew that the mysterious singer was real.

After what felt like a century of trying to get back to sleep Ariel gave in and her eye lids fluttered open to behold the small pool. She flicked her tail and glided through the water gracefully and leisurely to the surface in hopes to find Jim and wish him a good morning


	11. Chapter 10

Sorry it took so long to upload this, working on getting stuff out quicker. Enjoy!

Chapter 10

Jim grabbed one of the plump mangos from the pile of fruit he'd found in the treetops. He bit into it and his taste buds sand as the sweet fruit juice trickled down his throat. He swallowed and took another bite, then another and yet another. He didn't get fresh fruit like this anywhere. On the ship they had stew or stale bread and at home he usually was stuck with the leftovers.

Once Jim had finished the mango he set to work cleaning up the fire pit, packing things into his bag, anything that would tell the pirates they had been there. He wanted to have the advantage of getting ahead while they could. As he worked Jim hummed to himself. He had always liked music and his mother had always told him he had a nice voice, but he just thought she was saying that just because he was his mom, it was her job to say things like that. He remembered when his mother used to sing him to sleep on nights when his father left on trips and didn't say goodbye. Jim shock his head, trying to clear away those memories and set back to work humming tunes he'd heard from all around the galaxy. He then remembered a song he'd heard vaguely on a street corner once. He never got to hear the whole song, but it was a song that he had caught himself humming on the ship's deck over and over again. He started to hum what little of the tune he did know and then without thinking just started to sing.

_And I want a moment to be real Wanna touch things I don't feel_

_Wanna hold on, and feel I belong And how can the world want me to change_

_They're the ones that stay the same They don't know me_

_'Cuz I'm not here_

Jim froze mid step and glanced down at himself.

_Ok...I think that's enough of that_

Jim looked around the small cave to make certain he had hidden any signs of their stay; same as when they'd gotten there. He smiled and went to grab another fruit from his bag to much on before he checked in on Ariel. He scooped up a plum into his hand and headed over to the pool. He leaned over the edge and stared down with no sign of Ariel. Jim's eyes darted all over the small pool and was about to dive in in search of her, but out of nowhere she leaped out of the water with a splash.

"Hi Jim!"

Jim screamed and nearly fell right into the pool. Ariel swam back a little in shock over Jim's cry of surprise. Jim caught his balance and started breathing heavily as Ariel swam back to the edge of the pool.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you."

Jim looked up at Ariel with a sympathetic look that reminded him of a puppy gazing at you with its big, sparkling, adorable little eyes.

"It's not a problem; I was just coming to get you. We should probably head out soon."

Ariel nodded her head excitedly, but then looked at Jim in bewilderment.

"How are we going to do that with my tail?" Jim looked around her and was reminded of her mermaid status watching her green tail swaying under the pool's surface. He thought about it for a moment and smiled once he remembered the ring the Captain had given him. He took it out of his pocket and showed it to Ariel.

"This is how."

Ariel looked at the ring and then back up at Jim in bewilderment and wonder.

"What is it?"

"It's a magic ring and if you put it on then you'll become human."

Ariel's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates and she gasped in awe and started to chatter away excitedly.

"Really? It'll make me human if I wear it? Oh my goodness! How does it…? Is it really…?"

Jim hushed her and grasped her smooth hand in his. He could feel the silk like tenderness and just wanted to hold on tight, never let it go.

_You can't have her! Quit it!_

Jim gave a sigh softer than a whisper and slipped the ring onto Ariel's finger before lifting her out of the water, setting her down gently and running to his bag to grab the dress someone had thought to put in there. Before Ariel could totally change into a human form Jim slid the dress over her head so that he didn't see anything he shouldn't, although it was tempting.

_Cut it out!_

Not a moment later the mermaid princess sat before Jim in a small puddle of water, dripping wet in her human form.


	12. Chapter 11

Hey guys. REALLY sorry I have not uploaded in so long. I had a show to do and was sick on and off so I had tons of work to makeup and very little time to write anything. Well, things have died down some and hopefully I'll upload things much faster. Thank you for your patience. Enjoy!

Chapter 11

Ariel had her eyes squeezed shut tight and took some deep breaths. The weird feeling in her fins had stopped and it didn't feel like she had her tail anymore so she dared to peek through her lashes. When she saw the two feet poking out of the end of her dress her eyes grew large in excitement and curiosity. She finally was a human! Ariel gave a huge smile and tried not to scream she was so ecstatic. Jim kneeled down and glanced at her face before gazing in awe at her legs.

"How do you feel, Ariel? Ok?"

Ariel looked at Jim and gave a high pitched giggle,

"I'm fine, Jim! I feel fantastic!"

Jim gave a small sigh and smiled in relief.

"That's great. Do you want me to get something to dry you off?"

Ariel nodded enthusiastically and Jim darted off to search for something that he could try to dry her off with. Ariel remained in the small puddle just staring at her feet. Slowly she reached down and lifted her skirt up enough to see her actual legs. She just couldn't draw her eyes away from her new legs. She wiggled her toes and giggled hysterically. After another minute or so Jim came back with one of his shirts and his jacket. He took the shirt and started to dab it gently against her wet face and dripping hair. Ariel looked away from her new legs up at Jim's face only several inches from her own and smiled. His eyes were as blue as the sea and it was a comforting color which reminded her of home and was simply stunning. After a minute Jim glanced down to see her still gazing up into his eyes with tenderness. He stopped dabbing, letting his hand remain with the damp shirt on her cheek. Jim couldn't pull away from her gaze and nor she from his. After what felt like a century a breeze drifted inside the cave and Ariel shivered a little at the chilling wind on her damp body. Jim shook his head and quickly moved his hand away.

"I…uhhhh…we should get going soon."

He reached over and set his jacket upon her shoulders and Ariel gripped it tightly around her.

"Take this; it should help to keep you warmer." Jim slowly took his hands away and went toward the cave entrance to get his sack or supplies. As Ariel sat there she gave a small smile and blushed.

_There's something about him…_

She shrugged it off and patiently waited for Jim to come get her so they could start walking back toward her Atlantica.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The Captain glared out at the view from the cliff, examining for any sign of movement. He was not happy. They had lost the girl in the dead of night before that blasted storm hit and slowed them down, but now that the storm was over his crew was in full swing.

He had sent the majority out in search of the girl. He knew that she couldn't have gotten far in that storm. What concerned him was who had been her rescuer. Whoever that was had knowledge of some kind and skill. Someone like that could easily prove him or herself worthy of piracy.

He continued to gaze out at the jungle with his good eye. He had lost the other in a knife fight and he had no intention of getting his other one cut out if he didn't deliver the girl to the King. It was all part of the master plan, so he'd been told. No one knew what the master plan was, no one except the King. If he didn't deliver than it was bad news for him and his crew.

Just then the Captain saw a sliver of light reflecting off of something shiny, the signal. He had ordered his men to signal him with their knife if they found anything. He took out his own and signaled back. He waited another moment before there were three more flashes. The Captain smiled and gave one long flash before starting to trudge down the cliff into the jungle to where the signal had been.

Someone had found the sea girl and was hot on her trail.


	14. Chapter 13

Hey everyone! Really sorry I have not been updating quickly. School got very busy and that comes first. After the break I can't guarantee how soon I'll update with finals coming up, but here's a present for everyone, the next chapter! Happy Holidays!

Chapter 13

After spending the entire day walking through a jungle and carrying Ariel most of the way, Jim was exhausted. He had tried to tell himself over and over that he carried her to make the going faster since she wasn't used to her legs, but he really just liked having her close to him. He loved being able to hold her in his arms. This girl was going to make him lose his mind, but he was ok with that.

Jim glanced up through the treetops. It was getting dark and they needed to find someplace safe to rest. Out of the corner of his eye Jim noticed a small cave and headed for it. It was better than nothing, at least they wouldn't get wet if it rained. He stepped inside the bare cave and looked down at Ariel. He smiled at her angelic face which was soft and gentle as she dozed in his strong embrace. He carefully set her down onto the cool stone to get some wood for a fire.

After another hour Jim had a small fire blazing. Ariel was still dozing and Jim laid her down by the fire's edge to stay warm. As he sat there he watched her almost motionless figure rise and fall with every breath. He was trying to convince himself that once he left he would forget about her and everything go back to the way it had been before.

But that won't happen…

Somehow he just knew that she was different and that he would never find anything or anyone close to her ever again. Jim had no idea how he knew this, he just knew.

Ariel began to shiver a little and Jim put more wood on the fire and lay his jacket over her. He would be cold, but he was ok with that.

After several more hours Ariel's eyes started to flicker open and an exhausted Jim sat up, alert. She had started shivered and moaned throughout the evening. He didn't want to leave her alone like that so he had remained awake watching her, tending the fire and trying to keep her warm.

"Hey there. How are you feeling?"

Ariel glanced around nervously before Jim set a steady hand on her shoulder.

"Ariel, it's alright, it's just me, Jim."

Ariel sat up very still for another minute before turning toward Jim and engulfing him into a hug.

"Jim! You're still here!"

This startled Jim at first, but he embraced her just the same.

"Are you ok?"

"It was just a nightmare."

Jim released her from his firm hug to see her face. She wasn't crying, not yet anyway. He brushed his finger across her face to get rid of her unshed tears.

"Everything's ok Ariel. Anything you want me to do for you?"

Ariel glanced nervously around the small fire.

"It was just…remembering that night…with those men…"

Jim laid a single finger to her lips, hushing her.

"You don't have to talk about it."

Ariel started to shiver again, but not from the cold.

"It was just horrible!"

Jim took her back into his arms and held her close while she struggled to hold back her sobs.

"Ariel, no one is going to hurt you. I'm here to protect you and I will do that. Those guys or anyone else is going to lay a finger on you. We're going to get you home and everything will be fine."

Ariel clung to him as Jim gently soothed her and, finally when she began to drift off he went to set her down on the cave floor, but she wouldn't let go. In a faint whisper Ariel murmured,

"Jim, please don't let go."

Jim lifted her back into his lap to lay against his chest and rocked her gently.

"I won't"


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The Captain smiled as his crew followed him forward toward the mouth of the small cave. The fire was only a faint glow now and the sun would rise in a few more hours. As the pirates drew closer the Captains' smile grew wider as he saw the red head sleeping soundly in the arms of a young man, most probably her rescuer. He was young and the Captain was shocked for a moment

_We were threatened by a BOY!_

But when he got closer he realized who this was, he would remember those chocolate bangs and ponytail anywhere. This was the boy that had saved him from a life behind bars.

Captain Silver walked all the more carefully now, trying to be sure his robot part didn't whir or creak to disturb the young ones. Silver had to take the girl, his life depended on it, but Jim wouldn't be one to let that happen so easily. Silver motioned to his crew to knock out Jim first, than grab the girl and be on the way back to deliver the princess to the King.

The crew nodded in understanding and went about their work. They carefully slipped through the mouth of the cave and hit Jim over the head with a rock. They lifted the girl out of his now limb arms and gave her to one of the stronger men to carry until she awoke. Jim they bound and set down into the now empty tank.

Silver beamed at the quick, simple work and now directed his men back to the hideout where the King would be waiting for them to deliver the princess.


	16. Chapter 15

Hey guys, sorry for not updating in so long. I've been crazy busy and it's going to stay that way for a while longer, unfortunately. I'll try to keep up as best I can, but here's the next chapter for you. Please review, I'm open to any ideas or recommendations. Thank you! Enjoy!

Chapter 15

It had been nearly three days since Sinbad had given Silver his orders and seen them off. He was getting very impatient and had other, more important things to attend to. Sinbad tossed his knife in the air as he gazed at his reflection of his mirror. His chocolate hair hadn't been cut for a long time and had grown long enough to cover his ears. His dark very nearly black eyes shimmered from the light of the fading sun. He was beginning to consider going after the girl himself, but one of his guards entered his office. Gaston was a tall muscular man with jet black hair and arrogant French accent that drove Sinbad mad, but Gaston was a decent guard.

"My Lord, Captain Silver has returned!" The idiotic guard blurted out. Sinbad sighed restfully. He needed to have time to himself soon so that he could think things over that had been nagging him in the back of his mind. Right now though, he had to see Silver.

"Tell him that I'll be down soon." He told the guard and without a moment's hesitation Gaston left Sinbad's office. Sinbad stood at his window, leaning on it for support as he shifted through his thoughts. A long time ago Sinbad had fallen in love with a girl and the two of them had planned to get married, but his life as a pirate wasn't suited for her. He couldn't make her take on the life he had chosen for himself so he had left her, but he had always wondered what happened to her.

Sinbad's thoughts were disturbed by a clanging coming from the main entry hall and he rushed out of his office, knife in hand. No doubt they had a prisoner that wasn't cooperating. Sinbad had just made it to the entry hall when four men finally took the one causing the disturbance down to the floor. From what Sinbad could tell he was barely a boy, but strong if it took that long and that many men to pin him to the ground and even now he continued thrashing. Sinbad noticed Silver's presence in the corner and headed straight to him.

"Silver, what is this?" Sinbad demanded of the Cyborg and Silver nearly jumped out of his metal bindings.

"Why…your majesty! I was just handling this ere scum for yer. He's a strong lad, that's for sure and I'm sure that sometime in the dungeons will teach him a thing er two." Sinbad nodded to Silver, but there was something that seemed…different about this boy, but he couldn't quiet place it.

"Before you take him anywhere I want to see his face." Sinbad ordered and after much struggle the men holding Jim to the floor had gotten him to sit upright with his head facing Sinbad. He studied the boy as closely as he could. He had this ruff look to him, no doubt a sailor of some sort, probably a special opts, but he seemed familiar to Sinbad. He didn't know what it was until he looked him straight in the eye, sapphire blue, her eyes, Sarah Hawkins's eyes glaring right back at him. It couldn't be, but there was only one way to find out.

"What's your name, boy? And how old are you?" Sinbad waited patiently, but when the boy finally spoke it was almost a growl.

"My name is Jim Hawkins and I'm seventeen." Sinbad's eyes widen and motioned for his men to take Jim away. When they finally dragged him away Silver noticed Sinbad's breathing was unsteady.

"Is…er…something wrong?" Silver asked hesitantly. Sinbad breathed slowly and calmly answered Silver.

"Keep him in the spare room across the hall from my room. He is not to be harmed in anyway. Give him plenty to eat and drink for two days and after that I will see him." Sinbad ordered and slowly crossed the room to return to his study.

"Ummm…Sir? Why does the lad get such the royal treatment, if you don't mind my askin?" Silver questioned and for the first time in his memory, Silver saw Sinbad, the king of Thieves, smile.

"Because...I think he might be my son."


	17. Authors Note

Authors Note

Hey everybody. I am so sorry that updates have been so inconsistent. I had tons going on over here with finals, prom, my school musical and other activities that I do. On top of that my computer crashed at home and destroyed everything that I did have. That is now permanently lost and I had to start from scratch. It has not been fair to you guys to ignore this and I am very, very sorry about the wait. Good news is it's summer vacation for me now and I should get a lot more work done. Here's the next chapter and enjoy!


	18. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Jim slammed one last time against the heavy oak door before collapsing out of exhaustion to the stone floor in a heap. He had been stuck in this room for hours now and he had hoped to break down the door to search for Ariel, but the sturdy oak held firm with nothing to show the battle Jim had just endured to break it down.

The room was completely stone with the walls draped in tapestries and the floors decked with fine rugs. A king canopy bed in crimson reds sat on the far end of the enclosure with a bay window above the headboard. A roaring fire consumed the logs in the black marble fireplace and a comfterble looking loveseat sat directly before the flickering light with a small bookshelf beside the hearth. A small table was on the side of the love seat with some soup in a dish for Jim's supper, but he couldn't eat. All Jim could think about was Ariel.

He knew that he could not fail this mission; it meant everything to the future of him and his mother. But he couldn't help thinking about Ariel as more than just another mission.

_She's got that blood hair and that smile and…those eyes…and those lips…_

Jim mentally smacked himself.

_Stop thinking about her that way! She wouldn't take you even if you could have her!_

He had to get Ariel home before he got any more involved. He did care for her, which was why she could never be his. She was a mermaid princess and he was special ops human. He didn't have the riches to give girls like her the sort of life they were accustom to and that some deserved. No, Jim couldn't have her.

Ariel needed to be with someone of her own kind that could give her all of the things she deserved, but the thought of her with anyone else made Jim's blood boil. He couldn't deny that he wanted her for himself, but this had to stop. Nothing more than friends and that's how it would stay. In the long run it would be better for both of them.

Jim took a heaving breath before he rose from the hard floor, staggered to the bed and collapsed into the goose feather mattress. He hadn't had any real sleep in days and there was no way out of that room except the door. Jim knew that he wasn't going to be leaving anytime soon so he might as well lie down and think comfterbly, but it didn't take long for Jim's exhaustion to catch up with him. Two minutes later Jim was fast asleep, nuzzling deeper into the folds of the blankets and pillows.


	19. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Sinbad could not believe what had happened. He thought that it was such a simple task: Get the girl and wait for further instructions. It had been so simple. Obviously there was something bigger going on here than he originally realized. The red head was the third princess he'd been hired to take in the past two weeks. Something was definitely going on that he didn't know about and he was going to figure it out. Why would anyone want all these princesses? But more importantly, was this Jim boy really his son.

Sinbad hadn't been able to get the boy out of his mind. There wasn't any question, he had to be Sarah's son and very possibly his own. It was possible, it certainly was, but was Jim truly his son or did Sarah have another man back at her home that she got involved with the same year Sinbad had left. He just had to know and for that he needed to speak with Jim.

Sinbad took a deep breath and sat in the armchair behind his desk in his office. It had been less than a day since Jim had been tossed into his room, but Sinbad couldn't wait. He had to know. So he rose from his seat and walked out the office door and turned to Gaston who was at attention guarding the door as always.

"Gaston, get the boy from his room and bring him here. Tell him if he struggles we'll hurt the girl."

Sinbad ordered and Gaston nodded his head before setting off down the hall. Sinbad reentered his office and once again settled into the large armchair behind his desk. As he waited he thought about everything he had and Sarah.

_Was it really worth leaving her for this_

He had to leave, that was the only way she would have been safe. She wasn't cut out for a pirates life, not the kind for violence and the rotten business he handled day in and day out. Sarah was safe, but was she happy.

_Did I really do the right thing?_

That question would have to be put off for a short time because there was a knock and a murmer through the door,

"I brought the boy."

Sinbad sat up straighter in his seat took in a deep breath before uttering his next words.

"Enter"


	20. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The door sat ajar for only a slight moment with no other movement before opening fully and Jim entered followed by Gaston. Sinbad carefully looked Jim over, up and down. He hadn't been wrong about the eyes; they were Sarah's blue orbs. Jim held his head up high and glared at Sinbad with a fire in his eyes that almost burst through the blue like a ring of fire. Sinbad smirked at the look, the same look Sarah used to give when she was angry.

"Your highness?"

Sinbad blinked and realized he hadn't said anything so he cleared his throat before speaking.

"Gaston, go to the rest of the guard and tell them that if I signal them than they slit the red heads throat. After that return to tell Silver to come and guard the door and ask him for new orders."

Gaston nodded and smiled evilly before taking a hand off Jim's shoulder. He slowly sauntered out of the room and closed the heavy oak door behind him, leaving the two men completely alone.

Jim remained standing and glaring and Sinbad knew this wasn't going to be easy.

"Jim, right?"

Jim nodded and Sinbad motioned to a carved wooden chair in front of his desk.

"Sit, please, we have a lot to discuss."

Jim rolled his eyes,

"A lot to discuss or a lot to question. I'm not talking to the likes of you."

Sinbad's fingers began to curl into a fist, if Jim was going to play tough then alright. Two can play that game.

"Well, you if you're not willing to cooperate then I might as well signal to have your companion killed."

Jim scoffed, sauntered over to the window and sat out on the sill.

"Yeah right, you wouldn't do that. She's too important to you. You wanted her for a reason and you wouldn't throw her away like that."

Sinbad froze up for only a second, something Jim didn't notice. He was right, he couldn't afford to kill the little red head, she was an important deal and on top of that she was the only reason this kid wasn't on a rampage killing half his men. He needed her to stay alive and unharmed, but Jim didn't need to know that.

"If I signal my men then by the time you even take a step she'll wish she were dead."

Sinbad glanced at Jim and saw a range of emotions play across Jim's face, anger, concern and disappointment only begin to cover the basic list. Sinbad smirked as Jim turned his head to face him.

"That's better. Now first of all, before anything else, I need to know when you were born."

Jim raised his eyebrows and looked like he thought he was crazy, but Sinbad didn't have the time for an attitude. Jim read the tension begin to boil and submitted, he needed to keep Ariel safe.

"I was born in November seventeen years ago. You do the math."

Sinbad didn't have to; he had been with Sarah in February that year and had set off in the beginning of March once the snow had melted. If Jim really was his than there was only one other thing he could check to be sure. Sinbad rose from his chair and looked Jim directly in the eye before saying in a commanding voice,

"James Pleiades Hawkins, sit down in the chair."

Jim froze on the sill and Sinbad knew that Jim was his. Pleiades was a name he and Sarah had invented together one time when words had slurred together and Sarah had liked it. She had said when they had a child, no matter then gender; they would have that in their name. That name was unique to him and Sarah, only them, and Sarah wouldn't have used it on someone else's child.

Jim slowly rose from the sill and walked dreamily toward the chair Sinbad had motioned to.

"How do you know my full name?"

This was going to be the difficult part. Sinbad didn't know what to expect, but he had to tell Jim.

"Jim…I'm your father."


	21. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"You're lying."

This man had to be lying. Jim was sitting in the chair, unable to say anything more. This no good pirate, King of Thieves, had to be lying. His father had been lost in space just before he was born. There was no way that this murderer, this heartless monster, could be his father, it was not possible.

Jim saw the liar give a large sigh as he leaned over his desk, towards him.

"I know that this must be a lot to take in, I'm still coming to terms with it, but you are my…"

"Don't say it!" Jim shouted as he shot up from his seat.

"You are not my father! You're lying!" Jim could feel the anger boiling in his veins. How dare this pirate attempt to trick him! So what if he knew his name?! It didn't matter, Jim could not believe it.

Sinbad's eyes grew nearly black as Jim continued his outburst and he slammed his fist down onto the oak desk before starting,

"Listen to me Jim…" But he was cut off by a loud boom and a violent shaking throughout the fortress. Jim grabbed hold of the desk and Sinbad fell back into his chair. When the shaking stopped Silver burst in through the door in a slight panic.

"Your highness, we be under attack! Some air ships shot em cannons down on er lower levels."

Jim suddenly remembered that Ariel was down there and shoot to the window to look outside.

Some older air ships, modeled after some hot air balloons, with blue banners flew overhead and all sorts of people were running around everywhere.

"Silver, get your crew together and take the prisoners to the safe house. Tell the rest of the men to fight the intruders. Jim, you go with Silver."

Jim whirled to glare at Sinbad,

"Why should I follow your orders?! Why should I…"

"If you don't follow them then you and your red head won't make it out of here alive. We don't have time for this. Now go!" Sinbad ordered and all of them ran out of the study. Sinbad ran up the stairs and Silver and Jim ran down as fast as they could go, members of Silver's crew joining them as they ran to the foundations of the complex.

Jim wanted to run faster, but since he didn't know where to go, he had no choice, but to follow Silver and hope his princess was unharmed.

_Not your princess! _

He reminded himself as he rushed to save the little mermaid.

When they finally reached what looked like cells Silver started to scream orders to his men on who gets who, but Jim just ran straight past them all until he saw the blood red hair of Ariel.

He screeched to a halt, opened the door and grabbed her hand.

"Jim! What are we doing?! Where are we going?! What's going on?!"

"There's no time to explain, we have to get out of here! NOW!" Just as he said that the ceiling began to crack and everyone in the small room bolted for the opposite end of the corridor.

It looked to be nothing more than a dead end, but when Silver hit a keystone on the wall the floor moved to show a long staircase headed down into a very dark tunnel.

"All a ya get ur asses down there NOW!" Silver bellowed and his crew shoved several other prisoners below Ariel whispered to Jim,

"Jim, I'm scared." Jim squeezed her hand tighter as the ceiling continued to crack and shouts from above could be heard.

"I know, but don't worry. I promise, nothing bad will happen to you." Ariel nodded and just as Jim and Ariel descended into the dark unknown Silver hit the switch and the only exit shut tight leaving them all in darkness.


	22. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Darkness. Pure darkness is what enveloped the party and utter silence except for the occasional drop of water hitting the floor of the tunnel. Jim had gripped Ariel's hand even tighter once the lights had been abolished and clutched her close to his chest to keep her out of harm's way. After a minute of the silence Jim whispered to Ariel,

"Are you alright?" and after feeling her jump a little out of surprise at the sound she responded,

"I think so." Once this was heard Silver flew into action, the illusion broken.

"Alright now, men, get ur torches so I can light um." The men did as they were told once Silver had lit a small match and soon the tunnel was filled with light and the party began to move through the stone tunnel. With the light Jim now saw that besides Ariel, Silver, his men and himself was several other people.

Another girl around Jim's age with platinum blonde hair and a pink gown, a girl around the same age as the first with long black hair and tanned skin wearing a brown cloak of some sort and a man slightly older than twenty with blonde hair and a muscular build with a young girl around ten clinging to his side with her light brown curls bouncing behind her, her soft blue night dress seeming the float around her.

Together the group all walked in silence for what felt like hours. After a while the little girl began to slow down and the blonde man picked her up and carried her afterwards. After walking some move down the same stone tunnel they all saw an opening into what appeared to be a large sort of cavern.

Sure enough, once they reached the end of the tunnel they saw a huge open space made entirely of stone, carved by the water that ran further below them. The entire space had several other small passageways that ran out of the main room and several small caves that appeared to be used for various activities.

At the far end of the cavern several small ships lay anchored on a small dock. The entire place was filled with everything one would put in a hideout; food, fresh water, clothes, blankets, etc. and the pirates wasted no time in beginning to set all of these things up into various shelters.

The prisoners were left to stand near the entry where they had emerged from, Silver standing several feet away shouting orders to his men. The two girls began to ideally chat and the man holding the young girls sat down to rock her to sleep. Jim looked over at Ariel and almost cursed himself for not noticing earlier.

She was mostly unharmed, but she was filthy from all of the debris and her feet were cut up and blistering from all of the walking she had to do.

"Ariel, you're feet. Do they hurt?" Ariel grimaced and Jim scooped her up, much to Ariel's shock.

"I'm so sorry, I should have noticed sooner. I should have just carried you down here." Jim rambled on and on with his apologies as he carried Ariel to the water's edge. Ariel's feet had been hurting her for some time now, but at this moment she didn't really care about that. She was just touched that Jim cared so much about her.

When they reached the waters edge Jim carefully set her gently along the ridge and let her feet hang down into the cool waters of the cave. Ariel cringed slightly at the sting, but the waters relived her pain after a minute. Jim sat next to her, continuing to apologize profusely until Ariel had had enough. She placed her finger up against Jim's lips and looked into his deep blue eyes.

"Jim, it's alright. I'm not really hurt." After that Ariel was simply at a loss for words, losing herself in Jim's sapphire eyes. Jim's anger at himself parted way to pure amazement, looking at Ariel's ocean blue eyes. It was like his sky had been filled with thunderstorms and they had just parted way to see the sun for the first time.

"Jim…" Ariel whispered as she leaned towards him.

_Jim, don't you dare do this. She's not yours_

But Jim didn't bother listening to his own inner monologue, so he leaned in closer to her. Just when they were a mere inch from each other's lips there was a bang as a gun went off.


	23. Chapter 21

Wanted to give a gift to all readers this season, the next chapter of my story. Have a happy holiday everyone.

Chapter 21

"How many times do I have to tell all a yer not to mess with dah prisoners?!" Silver bellowed to several of his men cornering the blonde women and the women in the cloak against the cave wall.

"Force is only to be used when orders are given by his highness! Otherwise leave um be! Understand?!" His men murmured their acknowledgement and left the women alone, but that didn't stop them from casting glances at them and Ariel. Jim pulled her closer to him, glaring at the pirates.

_You promised to protect her. _

That's what Jim told himself, but he knew he'd be lying if he told himself that the reasons weren't at all selfish. He would keep her safe and get her back home, no matter what it took.

"Jim" He turned to Ariel and saw she was a little shaken up. He pulled her into a hug.

"It's alright Ariel, we're ok. Everything's going to be fine." Knowing she was scared made his blood boil, he wanted to take away all the evil around her, take away her hurt, her fear and pain. He wanted her to feel happiness, even if it cost him his own.

"Hawkins! Get urself n ur sea girl back over here with dah others, now!" Silver hollered, shattering the moment. Jim scooped up Ariel in his arms and began to walk back.

"Jim, it's alright, I can walk. You must be tired and I know I'm heavy." Jim looked at her, readjusting her so she'd be more conferrable.

"It's alright, you're not heavy at all and I'm not going to let you walk when your feet are all hurt this badly, they won't heal if you keep putting lots of pressure on them and getting more cuts." Ariel sighed, but didn't protest when Jim continued to carry her; actually she placed her arms around his neck and held herself closer.

Once they had reached the other prisoners Silver began to talk again.

"Alright now, this is how things will work for now. All er ya be spending all yer time in that area over der." Silver motioned to the very center of the cavern where three tents were pitched around a small pool of salt water and a camp fire.

"Ya don't leave dat area without mine or his highnesses permission or ya gets shot. End of story. Got it?" Everyone nodded and Silver motioned for them all to go there. Once within the small clump of tents Silver left and two guards were left to circle the enclosure.

Jim glanced around the area, right now, no way out. Jim held Ariel close to him, not liking the glances she was getting from the guards circling them like vultures.

"We need to talk." Jim spun around, but relaxed somewhat when he saw it was just the blonde haired man who he'd seen earlier.

"Look, we all want out, we just need to figure out how to do that, but no one of us can do it alone. You in or out?" Jim hesitated; he didn't trust anyone in his line of work. He'd seen too many cases where his teammates had been killed for trusting others, but in this case there really was no other choice.

"Fine, but not now." The man nodded and placed a hand on Jim's shoulder.

"Have a little faith. I'm not after anything; I just want to get my sister out of here." He motioned to the little girl curled in front of the fire shivering. Jim nodded to him.

"What do I call if I need you?" The man chuckled and removed his hand.

"My mistake, name's John and my sister is Wendy. The blonde one is Aurora and the other is Jasmine. And I scream out what when your girl here is in trouble?"

"Jim" John nodded,

"Well then Jim, until later." John walked off to sit with his sister and Jim took a dozing Ariel into one of the tents. He laid her down on a small cot laid out and pulled a blanket over her sleeping form. He lay down in the cot next to it and watched her body raise and fall with each breath until he too began to doze off into an uneasy sleep.


	24. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

After several hours of tossing and turning Jim's eyes flew open. He bolted up and looked over at Ariel's cot where she lay still fast asleep. Jim let out a breath of relief and relaxed his tense shoulders. He rose from his own cot and looked at Ariel once again before stepping out of the tent. The inside of the cavern was now very dark, the only sources of light coming from fires spread throughout the campsite. Jim saw John sitting in front of the fire, Wendy with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders with her head in his lap.

Jim cautiously made his way towards them, making sure there was no one around to overhear their conversation. The guards that had been posted were in a deep slumber near their own fire several yards away so Jim took a seat next to John in silence. After several moments of listening for anything in the darkness with no sound coming to their ears John spoke,

"So obviously we both want to get out of here, I have Wendy and you have Ariel. Right now Jasmine and Aurora know nothing and I'm fine with keeping it that way, we don't need any more stragglers. I love Wendy to death, but I know she'll slow us down and your ginger doesn't look like she can hold her own either."

Jim nodded his head,

"Not in a fight, she's got her ankle. What about you? Any experience?"

"I was an explorer for a while, saw a few planets here and there, but mostly they were like this one, no high tech and such. I know how to fight, but not handle these guns they're using if it comes to that." John sighed,

"Look, I don't need to really know anything about you. I can tell just by looking at you that you have some serious training. I just want to get my sister home. I'm pretty sure you have something similar with your girl."

"She's not my girl. We're just friends." John blinked a few times n let out a small laugh,

"Please, just friends my ass. I see the way you look at her. You're mister protective over there with her and melt the second she smiles your way." Jim thought about objecting, but it was hopeless.

"It's that obvious?" John smiled and patted him on the back.

"Yes, but that's ok. She'll get the picture soon if she hasn't already." Jim nodded, knowing he would have to try harder to hide his feelings.

_What if I don't want to? _

Shut up! Jim gave a small growl and John chuckled.

"Like I said, your life is none of my business. Do with it what you will. Right now though, we need a plan to get out of here."

"Right, you have any ideas or notice anything like any guards that have some drinking problems that we could drug, quietest time of day, anything?" Jim asked. John leaned his head back in thought for a minute before speaking.

"They have the place pretty loaded, there's a dock with a few small boats near the mouth of the cavern and a separate tunnel that looks like where they keep supplies. Right about now seems like the quietest time. From what I've seen in the old prison the guards know when Silver wakes up and get up just before then so between about one and five in the morning. Their leader gets up before sunrise and Silver just after. During the day we weren't too heavily guarded, but here there's everyone everywhere all the time." John looked back at Jim, determination shining in his pacific blue eyes.

"Right," Jim said, absorbing John's information.

"So based on what you've told me the best method would probably be to try to sneak out the boats at around two and sail out. It's too late tonight, but we have to move out tomorrow, you never know if they might move us." John nodded his head in understanding,

"It's not much, but it has to work." Jim nodded his head just as he heard a breath behind him.

"Great, about time we got out of here." Jim spun around to come face to face with a girl maybe two years older than him with midnight hair flowing down her back, deep brown eyes, bronze skin and a jewel centered on top of her head like a crown. John almost cursed under his breath.

"Jasmine, don't sneak up like that!" He scolded in a harsh whisper. "Do you want to wake the guards and get us caught?

"Of course not, but you're not leaving me behind. I can carry my own weight so there's no reason to not let me come." The guys looked at one another and Jasmine rolled her eyes.

"Look, I just want to get home just like everyone else. Now take me willingly or I'll just follow you, willingly we're less likely to get caught, but I am coming." John gave a deep sigh and Jim groaned.

"Fine." Jim muttered under his breath and Jasmine smirked.

"Great, two tomorrow. Until then." Jasmine slowly moved back toward her tent.

"Looks like she's got the right idea." John said and Jim nodded his head as he rose. Just as he was stepping back toward his tent he saw Wendy shiver out of the corner of his eye and John pulling the blanket more tightly around her. Jim smiled, knowing how lucky that little girl was to at least have someone that cared about her so much. He had his mom and that's why he did what he did, so people like John and Wendy could stay together as a family.

Family, Jim sighed. Sinbad was not part of that mental picture; it was him and his mom. Jim could not imagine Sinbad in his life so simple, he wasn't his father. With that resolved in his mind Jim entered the dark tent and saw Ariel sitting up in her bed.

"Jim! Thank goodness! I woke up and I didn't see you here and I got scared that you'd left..." Jim went straight toward her and sat on the edge of her cot.

"Ariel, it's alright. I'm sorry I left for a little while, but I'm back now. I promise you, I'm not gonna leave you." Ariel sniffed and Jim took her hand and massaged it in his for that quiet moment.

"Thanks Jim." Ariel whispered and Jim smiled in the darkness.

"Now get some more sleep. I'm not going anywhere. You'll be safe." Ariel muttered something incoherent and Jim chuckled,

"Sleep well Ariel." He let her head fall back to her pillow, her head in a pool of her blood red hair and laid her hand by her face gently. He watched her for a minute, just to look at her angelic form resting was one of the most beautiful sights he'd ever seen, but not long after his exhaustion began to overcome him and he went to his own cot and drifted into dreams of the little mermaid.


End file.
